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Sunday January 28

Today is Data Privacy Day, celebrated in the US and Canada since 2008 on January 28. The date is used to create awareness about the importance of respecting privacy, safeguarding data, and enabling trust, as well as to commemorate the January 28, 1981 signing of the first legally binding international treaty dealing with privacy and data protection.

The National Cyber Security Alliance (NCSA) is the group in the United States that promotes the Data Privacy Day campaign, and the organization's work is part of STOP. THINK. CONNECT.™, a global campaign promoting online safety, security and privacy. Here are some tips you can take to keep yourself, your family and your business safe online.

Spam and Phishing

A lot of cyber attacks come through email in the form of spam and phishing. Spam is unsolicited bulk email. Reducing spam in your inbox is as easy as enabling filters on your email app of choice. In the macOS...

In the last installment of our four part series, we put the $5,000 iMac 5K to the test against one of the most popular Mac Pro configurations to see how both machines perform from a 3D rendering and thermal perspective.

Streaming services like Apple Music will have to pay more to songwriters and publishers, according to the National Music Publishers’ Association (NMPA). All the details for other rates from the Copyright Royalty Board (CRB), like the per song mechanical on CDs and downloads, haven’t yet been disclosed.

The new ruling covers a five-year term from 2018-2022. Two tiers of a three-tier formula to determine royalties are still unchanged and in effect. In the change, rates will got up from 10.5% of revenue to 15.1% during a five year term (a 43% gain over five years).

However, publishers didn't get their preferred outcome of a two-tier formula. Apple, Spotify and the music services,...

Eight years ago today, Steve Jobs introduced iPad, positioned as a new device category between the highly-mobile iPhone and conventional Macs. Some critics were disappointed that it wasn't a Mac in tablet form; others were upset it wasn't a telephone, that it wasn't smaller, that wasn't larger--or that it effectively was a larger iPod touch. All critics have since agreed that iPad is a disastrous, disappointing problem Apple should feel bad about despite it being the most popular, most profitable, most influential new form factor in personal electronics since iPhone itself.

Apple’s official YouTube channel has posted these four new HomePod videos that are likely coming to a TV screen near you. What do you think of them? As expected by everyone who is paying attention, Apple’s focus, at least inititally, is on the music.

If you want a good barometer of how far Amazon Alexa has come, you just need to look at the company's teaser for its Super Bowl LII ad. Where Amazon's first-ever Super Bowl commercial was eager to sell you on the still-unproven Echo using as much st...

In this week’s top stories: Apple’s HomePod goes up for preorder as new details emerge, Apple pushes out the latest iOS, watchOS, macOS, and tvOS releases and betas, Logic Pro X gets a major update, and much more. Read on for all of this week’s top stories…

Got a few bucks sitting in HQ Trivia limbo these past couple of months? You'll be happy to hear this, then: the app no longer requires a minimum balance for withdrawal. You can get your prize money no matter how small it is, so you don't have to endl...

Following a pair of hands-on looks earlier this week, Wired is the latest to share their initial thoughts on the HomePod following a “first listen.” Wired seems to have been given the same demo as other news outlets, but has slightly different thoughts…

The 60th annual Grammy Awards are set for tomorrow night, January 28th in New York City. This will be the second year for James Corden to host the awards and is sure to include some laughs along with a lot of great performances. Follow along for how to watch this year’s Grammys live on iPhone, iPad, Mac, or Apple TV.

HBO's version of Westworld seems tailor-made for a video game: it's a fully-realized robot theme park with plenty of opportunities for disaster. And sure enough, you're about to get one. In the wake of a teaser on the website of the show's fictitio...

Ugreen has launched its new USB-C Multiport Adapter for MacBook and MacBook Pro that offers pretty much all of legacy connectivity missing from the new Apple notebooks. The company is also offering 15% off the new hub at launch, bringing this handy adapter down to $41.

The support shared between readers in the comments section is one of the things we love most about the Engadget community. Over the years, we've known you to offer sage advice on everything from Chromecasts and cameras to drones and smartphones. In f...

Apple’s iCloud Drive lets you securely access all of your documents from your Mac, iPhone, iPad, iPod touch and even a Windows PC. There are various ways you can access the files:

Using any supported web browser, you can use iCloud Drive at iCloud.com.

On your iPhone, iPad, or iPod touch with iOS 9 or later, you can access your files from the iCloud Drive app.

On your PC with Windows 7 or later and iCloud for Windows, you can go to iCloud Drive in File Explorer.

When you add your Desktop and Documents to iCloud Drive, all of your files move to iCloud. On your Mac, you can find the files on your Desktop and in your Documents folder in Finder under iCloud. If you add a second Mac Desktop, you'll find those files in the Desktop folder in iCloud Drive. A folder is created with the same name as your second Mac.

(This how-to is based on my experiences and info on Apple's support pages — where...

There’s a lot happening in the world of Apple news this week. Following are the hottest articles for the week of Jan. 22-27.

Apple and Malala Fund announced that Apple will become the fund’s first Laureate partner, enabling a significant expansion of Malala’s effort to support girls’ education and advocate for equal opportunity. Led by Nobel Peace Prize Laureate Malala Yousafzai, Malala Fund champions every girl’s right to 12 years of free, safe, quality education.

Apple spent $7 million lobbying the Trump administration in 2017, according to a Recode report. That’s the most the tech giant has ever spent lobbying.

Dana Tuinier has been fired as creative executive, comedy, for Apple’s Worldwide Video unit, reporting to head of development Matt Cherniss, reports Deadline.

Photo Courtesy of TV Land

She’s expected to work on Apple’s recently picked up half-hour comedy series, executive produced by and starring Kristen Wiig and produced by Reese Witherspoon’s Hello Sunshine, along with developing and overseeing new comedy projects, the article adds.

Previously, Tuinier served as vice president, Development and Original Programming for TV Land and Paramount Network and TV Land after the two networks’ executive teams were merged. During her 3.5-year stint she oversaw TV Land’s hit comedies Younger and Teachers.

Angela Ahrendts, Apple’s senior vice president of Retail, was on hand to welcome customers. The store’s 140 employees include 18 Koreans who have worked in Apple stores around the world and are now returning home.

Apple has 503 retail stores in 24 countries and an online store available in 39 countries.

While Airbnb's focus will always likely be home rentals, it has big plans to grow Experiences this year. It's investing $5 million into expanding Experiences to 200 cities (from 50) across the US in an effort to entice more people to get up and trave...

Friday January 26

The HomePod stands to be an audiophile's ideal speaker when it ships on Feb. 9, in no small part due to the considerable effort Apple has put into audio processing for the device. Audio expert Matt Hines of iZotope explains some of the technical hurdles Apple and other smart speaker producers have to overcome to provide a high-quality audio experience in a wide variety of environments.

At its Pixel 2 launch event last year, Google also revealed its tiny Clips camera, that uses AI to figure out when it should take a picture or video. Now the $249 device has quietly become available for purchase on its website, however as Android Pol...

This week's news revolved around new products from Apple, namely availability of the HomePod smart speaker and forthcoming updates to the company's major operating systems. Other developments include a lawsuit alleging Apple breached its contract with a sapphire material manufacturer.

As if the issues like revenge porn and AI-powered facial recognition searches weren't creepy enough, a Motherboard report reveals yet another unsettling use of technology: "deepfakes." Within a month of locating a Redditor who used machine learning t...

Last week, an Epic Games representative explained Paragon's uncertain future on the game's subreddit, which worried fans -- especially as it confirmed that developers had been siphoned off to assist with the massively successful Fortnite. It turns ou...

Today, Apple celebrated completion of their first retail location in South Korea with a public grand opening. Photos and video of the festivities from those attending show Apple’s retail chief Angela Ahrendts in attendance to welcome the location’s first visitors.

Payment sharing services from Paypal, Square and Venmo are great, but it can take some time to move funds from those accounts to your bank so you can use them in real life. Last year, Paypal introduced $0.25 instant transfer fees to make it much fast...

Lenovo will soon release its VR Classroom setup, which will let teachers guide their students through virtual field trips. Each kit comes with the first standalone Daydream VR headset, Lenovo's Mirage Solo with Daydream, which arrives preloaded with...

The HomePod stands to be an audiophile's ideal speaker when it ships on Feb. 9, in no small part due to the considerable effort Apple has put into audio processing for the device. Audio expert Matt Hines of iZotope explains some of the technical hurdles Apple and other smart speaker producers have to overcome to provide a high-quality audio experience in a wide variety of environments.

The first time I got close to one of Apple's HomePods was in a secluded meeting room at WWDC. Sonically, at least, it blew away the competition. After seven months -- not to mention the introduction of other impressive smart speakers -- Apple invited...

As Special Counsel Robert Mueller's investigation into Russian interference in the 2016 presidential election continues, Wired reports the team interviewed "at least one member of Facebook's team that was associated with President Trump's 2016 presid...

Last week, Universal Audio announced a new entry-level audio interface, the UA Arrow, that’s positioned just below its popular Apollo Twin interfaces. The UA Arrow, like other interfaces that the company makes, can provide your recordings with the tone and feel of a traditional analog recording. The Arrow is an interesting product for several key reasons, headlined by its support for bus-powered Thunderbolt 3, a first for Universal Audio.

Is the Arrow worth considering if you’re in the market for a portable audio interface for your iMac...

Tiny robots that can move on their own stand to have a variety of uses in fields ranging from medicine to the military. But having to supply them with constant power is a bit of a hindrance, especially when that power poses a safety hazard -- you can...

If you have an urge to play some classic games, you’re in luck: A third-party seller on Amazon is offering $10 off the Vilros Raspberry Pi 3 retro gaming starter kit. Usually $75, you can get it for $65 right now if you redeem the “12% off 1 item(s)” option in the promotions drop-down underneath the price. The kit is fulfilled by Amazon, which means if anything goes wrong you can return it according to Amazon’s customer policies, not the third-party retailer’s.

This starter kit comes with nearly everything needed for a classic gaming setup. It includes a case that looks like a mini Nintendo Entertainment System, the Raspberry Pi 3 board, a 2.5AMP power supply with a micro USB cable, a quick start guide, and two heatsinks. There’s also a 32GB microSD card pre-loaded with the NOOBS software manager for...

After announcing that its Harmony Link remote control device will no longer operate as of March 2018, Logitech promised free Harmony Hub replacements to all users of the product, and is now making good on its promise.

The Roland TR-808 and TR-909 are iconic drum machines that powered a ton of the music from the '80s and '90s. While both hardware units were recently revived as the TR-08 and TR-09, they haven't been officially emulated in software yet. That changes...

NAMM 2018 is in full swing this week highlighting the best of what the audio/music production industry will have to offer over the coming year. All of the biggest music gadget companies flock to Anaheim, California to show off their newest products and this year is no exception. We have been bringing you some of the major announcements from the show over the past week (or more) and now it’s time to round-up the best of NAMM 2018… more…

A number of states are considering right to repair bills, legislation which if passed would make it easier for individuals and repair shops to replace or repair electronics parts. Repair.org reports that 17 states have already introduced bills this y...

As advertised, the thing sounds great. There’s little question
here that the HomePod is a speaker first, smart second, bucking
the trend of the earliest Echo and Google Home devices. Apple’s
engineers were able to get a lot of rich and full sound out of
that little footprint. The speaker is particularly adept as
isolating vocals and maintaining often muddled aural aspects, like
background singers and audience sounds in live recordings.

The difference between HomePod and Amazon Echo isn’t that they’re in different product categories. They’re in the same category. No one other than a gadget reviewer is going to put both a HomePod and Echo in their kitchen. They’re going to have one. It is, most certainly, a competition.

Apple has released the first public beta version of macOS 10.13.4. The new public beta comes three days after the release of macOS 10.13.3 which includes security improvements and a fix for Messages bugs.

For this last Friday of January 2018, we have a series of fun and informative stories for you:

Apple has created clever animoji ads for Sunday night's Grammy awards featuring the music of several of the nominees

Revenues from the iOS App Store are almost double that of Google's Play Store, even with fewer downloads for iOS apps

Apple's HomePod is now available for pre-order; we talk about some of the first review comments

TSMC broke ground on a new plant today that will build 5nm process chips for Apple

The iPhone SE 2 may roll out as soon as May or June of 2018, according to sketchy rumors from DigiTimes

The text version of the podcast can be read below. To listen to the podcast here, click the play button on the player below. Apple News readers need to visit Apple World Today in order to listen to the podcast.

Rumors from Apple suppliers are now at odds with one another, as a new report contradicts earlier claims that the current iPhone X would be completely replaced by a new model later this year. Instead, it is suggested that Apple could stick with its usual strategy of continuing to sell previous year's models.

In a move that has surprised few, Apple has announced via a support note that it will be deprecating nearly all the remaining services in macOS Server. In the future, macOS Server will “focus on management of computers, devices, and storage on your network.” Time to start looking for alternatives for everything else macOS Server does for you.

Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-free version of our Web site, email delivery of individual articles, the ability to make long comments with live links, and discounts on Take Control orders and other Apple-related products.

Last year Facebook launched a Creator app for video hosts to create more video content for the social network. Now it's doubling down on the concept, this time for those who make gaming videos. It's a pretty clear bid to compete with YouTube and Twit...

LG may be producing more than just the OLED displays for this years iPhones. According to Korean news outlet The Investor, the South-Korean electronics company will be producing a new generation L-shaped battery for the 2018 iPhones.

Want to make craft cocktails at home? Shaker & Spoon is a subscription box that solves the toughest challenges of a home bar with great ingredients and interesting recipes. Every box is built around a different spirit, and showcases various styles of cocktail-making. It arrives with 3 brand-new, original recipes created by world-class bartenders, and enough ingredients (syrups, bitters, mixers, garnishes) for 12 cocktails — 4 from each recipe. It’s perfect for get-togethers and special gifts. All you need to bring is the alcohol, and the box will use up the whole bottle for all 12 drinks!

Assorted media venues lit up when AppleInsider, based on actually reading an analyst's note, reported that the current iPhone X may be discontinued after one year. Unfortunately, many of those reports failed to accurately convey the substance or context of the rumor, instead opting to weave a narrative they seemed intent on telling.

If you make your living in the Apple world as a consultant, developer, designer, or tech, there are a wide variety of conferences you can attend to hone your skills, learn new topics, network with your fellow wizards, and open your mind to new ways of thinking. Here’s our list for 2018. Be sure to let us know if you run across any others.

Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-free version of our Web site, email delivery of individual articles, the ability to make long comments with live links, and discounts on Take Control orders and other Apple-related products.

Apple has released two new ads that use Animoji to sing Grammy nominated songs, as spotted by Adweek. The exclusive iPhone X feature has been very popular and also controversial as some see it as gimmicky. Apple has just added an additional four Animoji characters in iOS 11.3.

In the third installment of our series, we put our $5,000 iMac Pro to the test against one of the most popular configurations of the Mac Pro to see how much of a performance difference you can expect when editing videos in Final Cut Pro X and Adobe Premiere Pro.

An anonymous reader shares a VentureBeat report: If you want to get an idea of how quickly sentiment has shifted against U.S. tech giants, just listen to NYU professor Scott Galloway. [...] "After spending the majority of the last two years of my life really trying to understand them and the relationship of the ecosystem, I've become 100 percent convinced that it's time to break these companies up." It's an audacious claim from anyone, even more startling coming from someone who has been such a close and bullish observer of these tech giants. Yet for Galloway, it is clear that the four companies have simply become too big, and too powerful. "The premise of my book is that Amazon, Apple, Facebook, and Google are our new gods, our new source of love, our consumptive gods," he said. "And as a result of their ability to tap into these very basic instincts, they've aggregated more market cap than the majority of nation's GDP ... I think these entities are more powerful than any entity,...

Apple has published its HomePod environmental report where it breaks down energy consumption and details how its low power mode will work. Apple also explains the environmental impact of HomePod based on greenhouse gas emissions and materials used.

If you don't have a macOS Server installation and have multiple macs to upgrade, it can be a bandwidth-sucking chore. Instead, there's a way to download a full install of the latest version of High Sierra and make install media using the Terminal -- AppleInsider shows you how.

Friday deals have arrived with instant savings of up to $300 off high-end MacBook Pros, including the 15" model with an upgraded processor, additional storage and Radeon 560 graphics for $2,699 with no tax in 48 states. Amazon is also slashing prices on current refurbished iPad Pros by up to 30% today only, with prices starting at $579.

Adds a number of new features and instruments to the professional audio app, as well as hundreds of enhancements and improvements. ($199.99 new, free update, 1.4 GB)

Read the full article at TidBITS, the oldest continuously published technology publication on the Internet. To get a full-text RSS feed, help support our work and become a TidBITS member! Members also enjoy an ad-free version of our Web site, email delivery of individual articles, the ability to make long comments with live links, and discounts on Take Control orders and other Apple-related products.

A new report from the Chinese supply chain suggests that Apple is continuing to evaluate multiple sizes for the fall 2018 releases, with the latest claim saying that the the company is evaluating a 5.7-inch and 6-inch LCD device, plus both a 6-inch and 6.4-inch OLED iPhone.

If it were only a question of quality, Apple’s HomePod, which, after a months-long delay finally ships on February 9, should be an unqualified success. Its audio quality is excellent, especially considering its size.
Seven months ago, I sat is a small room and heard Apple’s 7-inch smart speaker play music for the first time. It sounded good, but the demonstration was short and lacking a key component of the smart speaker’s feature set: Siri integration.

Recently, though, I heard Apple’s HomePod again in a variety of scenarios and spaces. It sounded even better, especially when compared to larger Google Home Max and the aurally excellent Sonos One, the HomePod’s separation of sounds and fidelity to original instrumentation is astonishing.

This listening experience also added the smarts, or utility, that was missing back in June. Apple’s HomePod is, finally, a functioning Siri smart speaker.

Jason Koebler writes: A bill that would make it easier to fix your electronics is rapidly hurtling through the Washington state legislature. The bill's ascent is fueled by Apple's iPhone-throttling controversy, which has placed a renewed focus on the fact that our electronics have become increasingly difficult to repair. Starting in 2019, the bill would ban the sale of electronics that are designed "in such a way as to prevent reasonable diagnostic or repair functions by an independent repair provider. Preventing reasonable diagnostic or repair functions includes permanently affixing a battery in a manner that makes it difficult or impossible to remove."

Parts of Apple's 'spaceship' building at the Apple Park campus are now usable by employees, after the iPhone producer received temporary occupancy permits from the City of Cupertino, and it is expected permits to use the rest of the massive structure will be granted later this quarter.

Google's Android store is pushing record numbers of app downloads to its users, with growth largely coming from developing countries. Android's ecosystem remains far less profitable than Apple's iOS App Store, however, which again grabbed the lion's share of customer spend on mobile apps despite handling fewer than half as many downloads.

Audio device maker Sonos this week announced a deal in which it will offer two of its Sonos One smart speakers for $349. The offer, a $49 discount, went live at various retailers on Friday. It will remain in effect for "a limited time," according to the company.

Sonos One (2-Pack)

Price: $349 at Amazon
Ars Technica may earn a commission on this sale.

It’s time for our annual look back on Apple’s performance during the past year, as seen through the eyes of writers, editors, developers, podcasters, and other people who spend an awful lot of time thinking about Apple.

This is the third year that I’ve presented this survey to a hand-selected group. They were prompted with 11 different Apple-related subjects, and asked to rate them on a scale from 1 to 5, as well as optionally provide text commentary on their vote.

Lots of data to process, all based on a survey, but telling nonetheless. Read this (and check out the charts) for yourself, but one point I will note is that the biggest negative change from the 2016 report card, by far, is the rating for software quality.

Some of the comments:

In 2017, our panel’s perception of the quality of Apple’s software took a nosedive. Nobody who has been following along to Apple news and opinion for the last year will be...

The HomePod went on sale earlier today, but there’s still a few little tidbits Apple simply hasn’t documented yet. Thanks to a helpful support rep, we now know some details about the power cable that were not clear before.

A supply chain report has seemingly validated previous rumors that Apple is working on a successor to the iPhone SE, with the device going into production in the second quarter, and shipping in May or June of 2018.

Apple has overtaken Xiaomi to take fourth place in the Chinese smartphone market, pushing the privately owned Chinese electronics company back to fifth with 13 million units. This comes even as the country’s smartphone market suffers its first-ever decline as shipments fall 4% in 2017.

The Canalys research group says the drop was partly due to China having one of its worst year-on-year performances in quarter four of 2017, with shipments plummeting by over 14% to just under 113 million units. China- based Huawei grew shipments by 9% against the overall market decline, shipping more than 24 million smartphones and staying on top.

Shipments fell for both Oppo and Vivo (both are also based in China), by 16% and 7% respectively, but they held onto their respective second- and third-place positions. Oppo shipped 19 million smartphones, while Vivo shipped 17 million.

Most Walmart stores have modest book sections, but now the company plans to expand that with digital books. Walmart announced that it's teamed up with Japan's Rakuten to sell e-books, audiobooks, and Rakuten's Kobo e-readers later this year.

"We have long been a destination for entertainment including digital content—whether movies through VUDU or the digital game cards we sell in our stores," Walmart's statement said. "E-books and audiobooks are a great addition to our assortment. Working with...

The site suggests that Apple will release only one OLED model this year, which would be the 6.5-inch one first suggested in a KGI report. This year’s 5.8-inch model would, claims Digitimes, be an LCD one …

About one year after construction on the first phase of Apple Park was originally scheduled to be finished, the city of Cupertino has finally granted Apple a series of temporary occupancy permits that allow employees to move into parts of the main building.

According to a spreadsheet compiled by Albert Salvador, a Cupertino building official, Apple received temporary occupancy permits on December 30 for five of the 12 sections of the massive circular structure. The company had actually received a previous temporary occupancy permit back in July for one section of the headquarters that contains the restaurant and atrium.

It appears Apple is on track to receive temporary occupancy permits for all the other sections between the end of January and March at the latest, according to the spreadsheet dated January 17.

I had the impression the entirety of Apple Park was all clear, ready for move-in.

One year after construction on the first phase of Apple Park was originally scheduled to be finished, the city of Cupertino, California has granted Apple a series of temporary occupancy permits that allow employees to move into parts of the main building of the “spaceship” campus, reports VentureBeat.

According to a spreadsheet compiled by Albert Salvador, a Cupertino building official, Apple received temporary occupancy permits on Dec. 30 for five of the 12 sections of the massive circular structure. The company had received a previous temporary occupancy permit back in July for one section of the headquarters that contains the restaurant and atrium.

VentureBeat says it seems Apple is on track to receive temporary occupancy permits for all the other sections between the end of January and March...

Apple has updated its Clips app for iOS devices to version 2.0.2. The upgrade provides a new Apple-designed label and poster for the Chinese New Year.

It also improves stability when browsing and recording Selfie Scenes on iPhone X. Finally, version 2.0.2 fixes an issue that caused the Top Secret poster to animate incorrectly during playback.

Clips is a free app for iOS that makes it easy to create and share videos using an iPhone or iPad. Users can access and edit their Clips videos across the iPhone and iPad via iCloud. Videos are automatically uploaded and backed up to iCloud, so users can start a video on an iPhone and finish it later on an iPad.

One of the most popular tutorial series we sell in the Apple World Today Deals Shop comes from instructor Rob Percival. His Complete iOS 11 & Swift Developer Coursereceives five-star ratings from students and currently has almost 4,000 enrollees. Rob wants you to become an iOS 11 developer soon, so he's dropped the price on this 249-lesson online course to single digits -- $9!

Percival and his sidekick Nick Walter have helped over 340,000 students learn coding, and he's been recognized by Business Insider as an elite instructor. Here's what you receive with your $9 enrollment:

Apple has started taking preorders for the HomePod. The $349 wireless speaker will ship to users in two weeks, on Friday, Feb. 9.

The HomePod is just under seven inches tall and looks like a piece of furniture. It’s available in both space gray and white, and also acts as a hub for HomeKit devices to provide remote access to home automation.

Apple on Friday morning began accepting preorders for HomePod, the company's entrance into the smart speaker space with audiophile-focused premium sound. The $349 accessory will ship to users in two weeks, on Feb. 9.

If you’ve been waiting to get your hands on Apple’s HomePod, the big day has finally arrived. Starting today, January 26, you can pre-order your new Siri-powered smart speaker for delivery February 9, that is, assuming there’s enough stock to go around. And since it’s a near certainty there won’t be, you’ll want to get in as soon as possible. Here’s how to snag one of the first units:

When can I get it?

Apple opened up HomePod pre-orders at 8:30 am EST on Friday, January 26, much to the chagrin of those of us who woke up at 3 am on the east coast.

Apple’s HomePod is officially available for preorder. As announced earlier this week, preorders begin today with the first orders arriving in two weeks, on February 9th. HomePod costs $349 and is initially available in the US, UK, and Australia…

Google is reportedly planning the biggest satellite launch ever along with SpaceX (which is backed by Tesla Motors CEO Elon Musk) to provide faster Internet connections to more people around the world, note. Should Apple consider something like this?

If Google completes the deal, it would provide a way to extend Web access and increase the number of people who can use its services. SpaceX might be something Apple also considers dropping some of their huge treasure chest into. It would provide them with a piece of computer gadget infrastructure, extend their reach, as well as promote private space travel.

As for SpaceX, it designs, manufactures, and launches advanced rockets and spacecraft. The company was founded in 2002 to revolutionize space technology with the ultimate goal of enabling people to live on other planets.

Admit it; you suffer from cable clutter. I know I do. Even though I have a 27-inch iMac with lots of internal storage and decent speakers, I have connections to: external speakers, an external hard drive, an iPad, and an iPhone. And, of course, a surge protector to protect all these gadgets.

The result? A crowded desktop. One simple solution: the $19.95 Neet Cable Keeper, which helps you organize, protect and identify all those cables from computer and mobile devices. It's a colorful sleeve that sports a wire that lets you "form" the cable in a variety of shapes to prevent tangles.

Installation is simple. The full zipper opening allows for one or more cables to be easily added. The NEET Cable Keeper is three feet long (so provides some wiggle room) and can be used to safely roll up your cables for transport. The NEET Cable Keeper fits just about all mobile device cables and chargers from companies such as...

You can change the password that you use to log in to your Mac, or reset the password if you don't remember it. The password of your user account in macOS High Sierra is also known as your login password. It's the password that you use to log in to your Mac and make certain changes, such as installing software.

If you know your password and can use it to log in to your account, you can change your password in Users & Groups preferences:

Choose System Preferences from the Apple menu, then click Users & Groups.

Select your user name from the list of users.

Click the Change Password button, then follow the onscreen instructions. If you're using a password hint, remember to update the hint for your new password.

If you don't remember your password, or it isn't working, you might be able to reset it using one of the methods described below. But first try these simpler solutions:

There have been conflicting theories about why Apple spent a rumored $400M on acquiring Shazam. Some suggested it was nothing more than protecting Siri’s Shazam-powered music recognition. Others wondered whether it was to expose Shazam’s customer base to Apple Music. Yet others theorized it was for the data.

Now one early investor in Shazam has suggested that the combination of the latter two elements could significantly boost Apple Music subscriptions …

On a regular basis, Apple World Today posts a list of notable new apps or app updates that have been released. They may not necessarily be new, but they're popular and deserve mention. Here are today's picks.

iOS Apps/Updates

Woebot is a free app designed to help fight depression. Drawing from principles of Cognitive Behavior Therapy, it helps you learn about yourself. Woebot asks how you’re feeling and what is going on in your life and sends you tools depending on your mood and needs at that moment. You can think of Woebot as a choose-your-own-adventure mental health manual that gets more specific to your needs over time.

macOS Apps/Updates

Fun Driven has released Breath Ball 2.1.2, an update of their breathing guidance app — and the first one available for macOS.

When the Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular debuted back in September, due to carrier requirements, cellular connectivity was only supported in a handful of countries. Apple today announced, however, that Apple Watch Series 3 with cellular is coming to two new locations next month…

The company updated its website to announce that the Apple Watch with cellular will be available for preorder in both Hong Kong and Singapore. The device is due to arrive one week later on February 9th.

In Singapore, the Apple Watch Series 3 with LTE will start at S$598, while customers in Hong Kong will pay HK$3,188. As for wireless carriers, Hong Kong customers will have their choice between 1O1O and csl3.

Singtel will be the first carrier to offer support for LTE Apple Watch customers in Singapore. While pricing has yet to be announced, customers in Singapore will receive their first three months of cellular service for free, as has been offered in other countries.

The newly-released iOS 11.3 beta seems to contain hints as to Apple’s releasing a next-generation iPad Pro this year equipped with both slim bezels and Face ID.

According to iHelpBR editor Filipe Espósito and developer Guilherme Rambo, strings in the first iOS 11.3 beta refer to a “modern iPad,” which is notable since Apple’s software engineers referred to the iPhone X as the “modern iPhone” in older firmware.

While the term “modern iPad” could be a placeholder, as is commonly found in Apple’s code, the discovery hints towards an iPad Pro with Face ID, which would certainly be a logical next step in Apple’s product roadmap.

KGI Securities analyst Ming-Chi Kuo has also cited expectations for a new iPad Pro with Face ID this year. Like the iPhone X, the tablet reportedly lacks a Home button, although it will likely still have an LCD instead of OLED display due to supply, cost, and technological constraints.

KGI’s Ming-Chi Kuo has been reporting the 2018 iPhone lineup as two OLED models (5.8-inch and 6.5-inch) and one LCD model (6.1-inch) for a little while now. Today, a Digitimes analyst says that Apple has been testing various screen panels, and may only launch a single new OLED iPhone this year, with a 6.5-inch screen.

The report also corroborates a new iPhone SE successor with wireless charging, and no 3D Touch, and will launch in the first half of 2018.

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